Current Teaching of Endodontics in Dental Schools Around the World: A Systematic Review

Authors:
Preprint
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Background. Knowing how Endodontics is currently being taught in undergraduate dentistry studies is of great interest to determine whether new teaching methodologies, new materials and contemporary techniques, as well as new diagnostic and therapeutic criteria, are being incorporated in the teaching of dental students. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze current undergraduate endodontic teaching worldwide. Methods. A literature search was conducted to identify articles about undergraduate endodontic teaching, using the following combinations of keywords: (Endodontics OR endodontology) AND (teaching OR training OR education OR curriculum) AND (undergraduate OR pre-graduate) AND (evaluation OR assessment) AND (dental schools OR dental faculty). Considering that the aim of the review was to analyse the current teaching of Endodontics, the inclusion criteria established were: 1) studies published in the last 10 years, 2) in which those responsible for teaching Endodontics reported some data about the undergraduate training of Endodontics, 3) in dental schools around the world. Results. The search yielded 124 articles related to the teaching of Endodontics. After applying the inclusion criteria, fourteen articles were includes in the systematic review. The data provided were extracted and organized into five sections: 1) General characteristics of teaching Endodontics in the dental curriculum, 2) Teaching methodology in endodontic training, 3) Root canal treatment protocol used in undergraduate endodontic teaching, 4) Use of contemporary materials and technologies in endodontic training, and 5) Assessment methodology in endodontic training. Conclusions. The data found in the published studies show great consistency and, compared with the data found in studies carried out decades ago, allow us to conclude that the quality of current endodontic teaching in dental schools around the world has increased substantially. However, there is stillroom for improvement in some aspects, especially the incorporation of new technologies and materials into the teaching of Endodontics at the undergraduate level. This is the case of magnification, ultrasound and CBCT. The publication by the European Society of Endodontology of the Undergraduate Curriculum Guidelines for Endodontology, with numerous recommendations on the scope of endodontic education, may be the appropriate instrument to continue improving and homogenizing undergraduate teaching of Endodontics throughout the world.

This publication has 41 references indexed in Scilit: